US11031264B2 - Semiconductor device manufacturing system - Google Patents
Semiconductor device manufacturing system Download PDFInfo
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- US11031264B2 US11031264B2 US16/443,168 US201916443168A US11031264B2 US 11031264 B2 US11031264 B2 US 11031264B2 US 201916443168 A US201916443168 A US 201916443168A US 11031264 B2 US11031264 B2 US 11031264B2
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
- H01L21/67161—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the layout of the process chambers
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
- H01L21/67196—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the construction of the transfer chamber
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
- B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
- B65G47/90—Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
- H01L21/67184—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the presence of more than one transfer chamber
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
- H01L21/67207—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process
- H01L21/67213—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process comprising at least one ion or electron beam chamber
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/683—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping
- H01L21/687—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches
- H01L21/68707—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
- H01L21/67739—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber
- H01L21/67742—Mechanical parts of transfer devices
Definitions
- FIG. 1A is a plan view of a semiconductor device manufacturing system, in accordance with some embodiments.
- FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a section of FIG. 1A , in accordance with some embodiments.
- FIG. 2 is a plan view of a semiconductor device manufacturing system, in accordance with some embodiments.
- FIG. 3A is a plan view of a semiconductor device manufacturing system, in accordance with some embodiments.
- FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device manufacturing system, in accordance with some embodiments.
- FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method for operating a semiconductor device manufacturing system, in accordance with some embodiments.
- first and second features are formed in direct contact
- additional features are disposed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features are not in direct contact
- present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.
- spatially relative terms such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures.
- the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.
- the apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.
- nominal refers to a desired, or target, value of a characteristic or parameter for a component or a process operation, set during the design phase of a product or a process, together with a range of values above and/or below the desired value.
- the range of values is typically due to slight variations in manufacturing processes or tolerances.
- the term “about” as used herein indicates the value of a given quantity that can vary based on a particular technology node associated with the subject semiconductor device. Based on the particular technology node, the term “about” can indicate a value of a given quantity that varies within, for example, 5-30% of the value (e.g., ⁇ 5%, ⁇ 10%, ⁇ 20%, or ⁇ 30% of the value).
- Semiconductor substrates e.g., semiconductor wafers
- semiconductor wafers are subjected to different device manufacturing processes (e.g., wet etching, dry etching, ashing, stripping, metal plating, epitaxy, and/or chemical mechanical polishing) in different processing chambers of processing modules of semiconductor device manufacturing systems during the fabrication of semiconductor devices.
- the different processing modules can be arranged in a cluster around a central, automated handling unit. Such clusters of processing modules are often referred as cluster tools.
- the central automated handling unit can include transfer modules that can be configured to transfer the wafers between different processing chambers and/or between processing chambers and wafer storage devices.
- the wafers are typically transported through transfer modules (sometimes referred as load lock modules) and temporarily stored in batches in the wafer storage devices during intervals between the different processes.
- the processing chambers can be configured to provide a vacuum environment to conduct the different processes on the wafers.
- the wafers are transferred from other processing chambers and/or the wafer storage devices into the processing chambers.
- the processing chambers are typically pumped down to a desired vacuum pressure prior to receiving the wafers.
- a long pumping time e.g. hours or days
- the venting of the processing chambers to atmospheric pressure are typically avoided to reduce wafer processing time, and consequently, increase the throughput of the processed wafers.
- the semiconductor wafers can be transferred to the processing chambers under a vacuum environment through one or more of the transfer modules.
- the transfer modules can be configured to transfer and receive the wafers to and from the processing chambers under vacuum to reduce the wafer processing time and to reduce contamination in the processing chambers.
- a transfer chamber of a transfer module can be coupled to one or more of the processing chambers with gate valves between the chambers.
- the transfer module can have its own pumping and venting systems. It can include a wafer holder that can hold a number of individual wafers and a mechanical transfer mechanism (e.g., a robotic arm) to move the wafers to and from the processing chambers.
- the wafers can be loaded into the transfer chamber from storage devices while under atmospheric pressure.
- the transfer chamber can then be pumped down to a vacuum pressure similar to that of the processing chamber to which the wafers are to be transferred.
- the gate valve between the transfer chamber and the processing chamber can then be opened and one or more of the wafers can be mechanically transferred to the processing chamber using, for example, a robotic arm of the transfer module.
- the wafers After the wafers are processed, they can be transferred back to the transfer chamber under vacuum in order to be placed back into the wafer storage devices and moved onto the next processing module. During this transfer process the processing chamber can be under vacuum.
- the transfer module allows the wafers to be transferred to and from the processing chamber without venting the processing chamber to atmospheric pressure.
- transfer chambers of transfer modules of the semiconductor device manufacturing systems are configured to dynamically modify the interior volumes of the transfer chambers to achieve faster pumping down and venting of the transfer chambers.
- transfer chambers can include liners installed along their inner sidewalls. The liners can be configured to be inflatable with a gaseous medium during the pumping down and/or venting operations of the transfer module. The expansion of the volumes of the inflatable liners helps to reduce the interior volumes of the transfer chambers. As a result, the reduced volumes of the transfer chambers can be pumped down and vented faster than transfer chambers without the liners to reach the desired vacuum pressure and atmospheric pressure, respectively.
- the time required for pumping down the transfer chambers with liners is reduced by about 5% to about 10%. In some embodiments, the time required for venting the transfer chambers with liners is reduced by about 5% to about 10%. In some embodiments, the liners can be configured to protect the robotic arms of the transfer modules from structural damages in the events of collisions with the interior of the transfer chambers during the wafer transfer operations.
- FIG. 1A shows a plan view of a semiconductor device manufacturing system 100 , according to some embodiments.
- Semiconductor device manufacturing system 100 can include processing modules 101 A- 101 B, transfer modules 103 A- 103 B, transfer tube 105 , loading ports 107 , and a control system 124 .
- Transfer tube 105 can be configured to provide a central transfer conduit to transfer wafers between loading ports 107 and transfer modules 103 A- 103 B.
- transfer tube 105 can include a robotic arm 113 and a wafer orientation stage 115 .
- Robotic arm 113 can be configured to transfer the wafers between loading ports 107 , wafer orientation stage 115 , and transfer modules 103 A- 103 B.
- transfer tube 105 can be configured to be at atmospheric pressure or at a vacuum environment.
- Each of loading ports 107 can accommodate a wafer storage device 108 (sometimes referred as front opening unified pod (FOUP)).
- Wafer storage devices 108 can be configured for temporarily storing a batch of wafers in a controlled environment during intervals between the different processes in processing modules 101 A- 101 B.
- Each of wafer storage devices 108 can include a purging system (not shown) to reduce humidity and contamination from environment.
- the purging systems can include one or more gas inlet tubes (not shown) configured to supply purging gas into wafer storage devices 108 .
- the purging systems can also include one or more outlets (not shown) configured to extract the purging gas from wafer storage devices 108 .
- One or more of the batch of wafers in wafer storage devices 108 can be transferred by robotic arm 113 to wafer orientation stage 115 prior to being transferred to transfer modules 103 A and/or 103 B and subsequently to respective processing modules 101 A and/or 101 B.
- Wafer orientation stage 115 can be configured to adjust an orientation of each wafer toward a direction in favor of a semiconductor manufacturing process to be performed on the wafer, where an outcome of the semiconductor manufacturing process (e.g. epitaxy) depends on the wafer crystallinity.
- Robotic arm 113 can be further configured to transfer the oriented wafers to transfer module 103 A and/or 103 B. In some embodiments, robotic arm 113 can be configured to transfer the wafers from wafer storage devices 108 to transfer module 103 A and/or 103 B.
- Processing modules 101 A and 101 B can include processing chambers 102 A- 102 B and gate valves 117 A- 117 B, respectively. Even though two processing modules 101 A- 101 B are shown here, system 100 can have less than or more than two processing modules similar to processing modules 101 A- 101 B.
- Each of processing chambers 102 A- 102 B can be configured to provide a high vacuum environment to conduct a plurality of semiconductor manufacturing processes on semiconductor wafers (not shown) that require a vacuum environment (e.g., a vacuum pressure below 10 ⁇ 4 torr) to preserve, for example, the desired mean-free-path of the reacting gases, plasma and/or electrons in processing chambers 102 A- 102 B during operations.
- the plurality of semiconductor manufacturing processes can include deposition processes such as, for example, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), electrochemical deposition (ECD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), sputtering, thermal evaporation, e-beam evaporation, or other deposition processes; etching processes such as, for example, dry etching, reactive ion etching (RIE), inductively coupled plasma etching (ICP), or ion milling; thermal process such as, for example, rapid thermal annealing (RTA); microscopy such as, for example, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM); or any combination thereof.
- MBE molecular beam epitaxy
- CVD chemical vapor deposition
- PECVD plasma
- Each of processing chambers 102 A- 102 B can include a plurality of ports for installing auxiliary manufacturing apparatus or for coupling to other vacuum chamber(s). Ports of processing chambers 102 A- 102 B can be sealed during operation with vacuum flanges equipped with knife edge or o-ring to ensure maintenance of vacuum pressure level of the processing chamber.
- Transfer modules 103 A- 103 B can include transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, robotic arms 111 A- 111 B, wafer stations 114 A- 114 B, and gate valves 119 A- 119 B, respectively.
- Transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B can be configured to enclose robotic arms 111 A- 111 B, and wafer stations 114 A- 114 B, respectively.
- Each of transfer modules 103 A- 103 B can be coupled to respective processing modules 101 A- 101 B with respective gate valves 117 A- 117 B between them.
- Gate valves 117 A- 117 B can be configured to isolate processing chambers 102 A- 102 B from transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B during wafer processing in processing chambers 102 A- 102 B, respectively.
- Gate valves 117 A- 117 B can be further configured to provide access between processing chambers 102 A- 102 B and transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, respectively, during transfer of wafers between them.
- Transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B can be configured to be under a vacuum pressure similar to that of processing chambers 102 A- 102 B when gate valves 117 A- 117 B are configured to provide access between processing chambers 102 A- 102 B and transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, respectively, so that processing chambers 102 A- 102 B can avoid venting to save time.
- gate valves 117 A- 117 B can be configured to provide access between processing chambers 102 A- 102 B and transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, respectively, in response to control signals (not shown) indicating that transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B are under a vacuum pressure similar to that of processing chambers 102 A- 102 B and that gate valves 119 A- 119 B are closed.
- system 100 can have a common transfer module that is shared between processing modules 101 A- 101 B or between N number of processing modules similar to processing modules 101 A- 101 B, where N can be any integer.
- the common transfer module can be similar to transfer modules 103 A- 103 B, but with N number of gate valves similar to gate valves 117 A- 117 B to provide access between the common transfer module and N number of processing modules, respectively.
- robotic arms 111 A- 111 B can be configured to transfer one or more wafers (not shown) between wafer stations 114 A- 114 B and processing chambers 102 A- 102 B, respectively.
- Wafer stations 114 A- 114 B can be temporary storage stations for wafers during transfer between processing chambers 102 A- 102 B and transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, between transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B and transfer tube 105 , and/or between transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B and wafer storage devices 108 in loading ports 107 , respectively.
- Wafer stations 114 A- 114 B can be configured to hold one or more wafers waiting to be transferred to processing chambers 102 A- 102 B, transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, transfer tube 105 , and/or wafer storage devices 108 , respectively.
- Each of transfer modules 103 A- 103 B can be coupled to transfer tube 105 with respective gate valves 119 A- 119 B between them.
- Gate valves 119 A- 119 B can be configured to isolate transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B from transfer tube 105 during wafer transfer between processing chambers 102 A- 102 B and transfer chambers, respectively, since transfer tube 105 is typically under atmospheric pressure.
- Gate valves 119 A- 119 B can be further configured to provide access between transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B and transfer tube 105 , respectively, during transfer of wafers between them.
- Transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B can be configured to be under atmospheric pressure when gate valves 119 A- 119 B are configured to provide access between transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B and transfer tube 105 , respectively.
- Transfer modules 103 A- 103 B can be configured to provide a pressure level within respective transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B that is similar to the pressure level within transfer tube 105 or respective processing chambers 102 A- 102 B based on where the wafers are scheduled to be transferred. Before transferring the wafers from transfer tube 105 to transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B, transfer modules 103 A and/or 103 B can be configured to vent respective transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B with an inert and/or purified gas (e.g. nitrogen or argon) to achieve the pressure level as in transfer tube 105 .
- an inert and/or purified gas e.g. nitrogen or argon
- respective gate valves 119 A and/or 119 B can be configured to open for allowing robotic arm 113 to transfer the wafers into respective transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B.
- Transfer modules 103 A and/or 103 B can be further configured to pump down respective transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B with one or more vacuum pumps or other suitable means (not shown) to achieve a vacuum pressure similar to that of processing chambers 102 A and/or 102 B, respectively.
- gate valves 117 A and/or 117 B can be configured to open to allow robotic arms 111 A and/or 111 B to transfer the wafers into processing chambers 102 A and/or 102 B, respectively.
- Transfer modules 103 A and/or 103 B can also be configured to vent transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B, respectively, with an inert and/or purified gas (e.g. nitrogen or argon) to achieve a pressure level (e.g. atmosphere) that is substantially equal to that of transfer tube 105 .
- an inert and/or purified gas e.g. nitrogen or argon
- respective gate valves 119 A and/or 119 B can be opened to allow the transfer of wafers to transfer tube 105 , and subsequently, to one or more of the wafer storage devices 108 in loading ports 107 .
- transfer modules 103 A- 103 B can further include liners 121 A- 121 B, gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B, gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B, gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B, and gas outlet ports 122 A- 122 B, respectively. Liners 121 A- 121 B can be placed on one or more inner surfaces of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, respectively.
- liners 121 A- 121 B can be placed on one or more inner side surfaces, inner upper surfaces (not shown), and/or inner bottom surfaces (not shown) of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, such that liners 121 A- 121 B do not block wafer stations 114 A- 114 B, robotic arms 111 A- 11 B, gate valves 117 A- 117 B, gate valves 119 A- 119 B, and/or other elements or openings (not shown) of transfer modules 103 A- 103 B, respectively.
- Liners 121 A- 121 B can be placed on side surfaces of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B having gate valves 117 A- 117 B, gate valves 119 A- 119 B, gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B, and gas outlet ports 122 A- 122 B, respectively, such that liners 121 A- 121 B do not block these gate valves and ports.
- liners 121 A- 121 B can be placed on side surfaces of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B having gate valves 117 A- 117 B and gate valves 119 A- 119 B without blocking the movement of robotic arms 111 A- 111 B and 113 , respectively, during their wafer transfer operations.
- liners 121 A- 121 B can be placed on side surfaces of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B having gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B, and gas outlet ports 122 A- 122 B without blocking the supply and extraction of gas during the pumping down and venting operations of transfer modules 103 A- 103 B, respectively.
- liners 121 A- 121 B can be coupled to one or more inner side surfaces, inner upper surfaces (not shown), and/or inner bottom surfaces (not shown) of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, respectively with adhesive (e.g., tape, glues, polymeric compositions such as silicones, epoxies, or resins), mechanical parts (e.g., screws or clamps), other suitable coupling elements, or a combination thereof.
- adhesive e.g., tape, glues, polymeric compositions such as silicones, epoxies, or resins
- mechanical parts e.g., screws or clamps
- the material of liners 121 A- 121 B can include nylon, rubber, plastic, synthetic, other suitable flexible material(s), or a combination thereof.
- Liners 121 A- 121 B can be configured to reduce volume of respective transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B during pumping down and/or venting operations of respective transfer modules 103 A- 103 B.
- liners 121 A- 121 B can be configured to be inflated with air or other suitable gas (e.g. nitrogen, argon, or an inert gas) to reduce volume of respective transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B during the pumping down and/or venting operations of respective transfer modules 103 A- 103 B.
- suitable gas e.g. nitrogen, argon, or an inert gas
- liners 121 A- 121 B can be configured to be deflated during or after the venting operations of respective transfer modules 103 A- 103 B.
- Reducing the volume of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B during their pumping down and/or venting operations helps to reduce the time period required to pump down and/or vent transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B.
- Such reduction in the pumping down and/or venting periods helps to reduce the wafer transfer time between transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B and processing chambers 102 A- 102 B, respectively and/or between transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B and transfer tube 105 .
- the volume of each of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B can be reduced by about 5% to about 10% compared to transfer chambers without liners similar to liners 121 A- 121 B.
- the pumping down period of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B can be reduced by about 5% to about 10% compared to transfer chambers without liners similar to liners 121 A- 121 B.
- the venting period of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B can be reduced by about 5% to about 10% compared to transfer chambers without liners similar to liners 121 A- 121 B.
- the wafer transfer time between transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B and processing chambers 102 A- 102 B, respectively can be reduced by about 5% to about 10% compared to transfer chambers without liners similar to liners 121 A- 121 B.
- gas supply systems and gas extraction systems 109 A- 109 B and 110 A- 110 B can be carried out by gas supply systems and gas extraction systems 109 A- 109 B and 110 A- 110 B through gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B and gas outlet ports 122 A- 122 B, respectively.
- Gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B and/or gas outlet ports 122 A- 122 B can be openings through sidewalls of respective transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B.
- gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B and gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B may be a combined system, respectively, and not separate system as illustrated in FIG. 1A .
- each of transfer modules 103 A- 103 B can have a common gas system (not shown) instead of gas supply systems and gas extraction systems 109 A- 109 B and 110 A- 110 B for supplying and extracting gas to and from respective liners 121 A- 121 B through a common gas inlet/outlet port (not shown) instead of through gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B and gas outlet ports 122 A- 122 B, respectively.
- each of liners 121 A- 121 B can be a single continuous liner as illustrated in FIG. 1A or can include two or more segments of liners (not shown).
- Each segment of liners can have its own gas inlet and outlet ports and gas supply and extraction systems for its inflation and deflation operations similar to liners 121 A- 121 B.
- Liners 121 A- 121 B can be coupled to gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B and gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B through gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B and gas outlet ports 122 A- 122 B, respectively.
- gas supply lines and/or gas extraction lines can be coupled to liners 121 A- 121 B through gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B and/or gas outlet ports 122 - 122 B, respectively, with mechanical couplings (illustrated in FIG. 1B ) that can be configured to preserve vacuum seal in respective transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B.
- FIG. 1B illustrates an enlarged view of a portion 120 C of transfer module 103 A where liner 121 A is coupled to a gas supply line 109 C of gas supply system 109 A through gas inlet port 120 A.
- Liner 121 A can be coupled to gas supply line 109 C with a mechanical coupling that includes a pair of flanges 141 , an interface fitting 143 , O-rings 145 , and screws 147 .
- one flange of the pair of flanges 141 , at least one of O-rings 145 , and at least one of screws 147 of the mechanical coupling can be located within liner 121 A.
- interface-fitting 143 can be positioned within gas inlet port 120 A with a first portion of interface fitting 143 extending into liner 121 A and a second portion of interface-fitting 143 extending out of transfer module 103 A.
- the mechanical coupling can couple liner 121 A to gas supply line 109 C in such a manner that vacuum seal is preserved when transfer chamber 112 A operates under vacuum.
- liners 121 A and/or 121 B can be in a deflated state during transfer of wafers between transfer tube 105 and respective transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B.
- liners 121 A and/or 121 B can be inflated by air or inert gas supplied by gas supply systems 109 A and/or 109 B through gas inlet ports 120 A and/or 120 B during transfer of wafers from transfer tube 105 to transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B, respectively. The inflation can be performed to prepare transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B for the pumping down operation prior to transferring the wafers into respective processing chambers 102 A and/or 102 B.
- liners 121 A and/or 121 B can be inflated by air or inert gas supplied by gas supply systems 109 A and/or 109 B through gas inlet ports 120 a and/or 120 B after receiving the wafers from transfer tube 105 and during the pumping down of transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B to vacuum pressure.
- liners 121 A and/or 121 B can remain in the inflated state if transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B remain under vacuum until the wafers are transferred back into transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B after being processed in processing chambers 102 A and/or 102 B, respectively. Subsequent to this transfer back of wafers into transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B, transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B can be vented to prepare these chambers for transferring the wafers back into transfer tube 105 at atmospheric pressure.
- liners 121 A and/or 121 B can be deflated by extracting gas from liners 121 A and/or 121 B through gas outlet ports 122 A and/or 122 B using gas extraction systems 110 A and/or 110 B, respectively.
- liners 121 A and/or 121 B can remain inflated during this venting operation and also during transfer of wafers from transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B to prevent structural damages to robotic arms 111 A and/or 111 B in the events of collisions with the interior of transfer chambers 112 A and/or 112 B, respectively.
- Control system 124 can be coupled to gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B and gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B. In some embodiments, control system 124 can be configured to control the operations of gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B and gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B, and thus control the inflation and deflation of liners 121 A- 121 B, respectively. In some embodiments, control system 124 can activate and/or deactivate gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B and gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B based on control signals (not shown). Control system 124 can be configured to prevent simultaneous activation of gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B and gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B.
- the activation and/or deactivation of gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B and gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B can include controlling the gas supply to gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B and the operation of extraction pumps of gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B, respectively.
- control system 124 can provide activation and deactivation signals that open and close gas supply valves of gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B to supply and block, respectively, the flow of gas to gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B.
- control system 124 can provide activation and deactivation signals that activate and deactivate the extraction pumps, and open and close valves of gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B to allow and block, respectively, the flow of gas out of liners 121 A- 121 B through gas outlet ports 122 A- 122 B, respectively.
- gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B and gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B can be controlled by control system 124 based on one or more signals received by control system 124 that indicate the pressure levels of transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, the gas pressure within liners 121 A- 121 B, the position of gate valves 117 A- 117 B and 119 A- 119 B, the operations of pumping and/or venting systems of transfer modules 103 A- 103 B for pumping and/or venting transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, and/or the presence of wafers in transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B.
- control system 124 can provide activation signals to gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B for inflating liners 121 A and/or 121 B in response to receiving sensor signals that indicate the presence of wafers within transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, the closed position of gate valves 117 A- 117 B and 119 A- 119 B, and/or the activation of pumping systems of transfer modules 103 A- 103 B for pumping down of respective transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B.
- activation signals can be provided by control system 124 to gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B for deflating liners 121 A and/or 121 B in response to receiving sensor signals that indicate the absence of wafers from within transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B, closed position of gate valves 117 A- 117 B and 119 A- 119 B, and/or the activation of venting systems of transfer modules 103 A- 103 B for venting of respective transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B.
- deactivation signals can be provided by control system 124 to gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B and gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B in response to receiving a sensor signal indicating that the gas pressure within liners 121 A- 121 B is above and below a desired value, respectively.
- deactivation signals can be provided by control system 124 to gas supply systems 109 A- 109 B and gas extraction systems 110 A- 110 B based on the duration of gas supplied to and gas extracted from liners 121 A- 121 B, respectively.
- FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a semiconductor wafer manufacturing system 200 , according to some embodiments.
- the discussion of semiconductor wafer manufacturing system 100 applies to semiconductor wafer manufacturing system 200 unless mentioned otherwise.
- Semiconductor device manufacturing system 200 can include processing modules 101 A- 101 B, transfer modules 203 A- 203 B, transfer tube 105 , and loading ports 107 .
- Transfer modules 203 A- 203 B can include transfer chambers 212 A- 212 B, respectively.
- the discussion of elements with the same annotations in FIGS. 1A-1B and 2 applies to each other unless mentioned otherwise.
- transfer modules 103 A- 103 B and transfer chambers 112 A- 112 B applies to transfer modules 203 A- 203 B and transfer chambers 212 A- 212 B unless mentioned otherwise.
- Each of transfer chambers 212 A- 212 B can include liners 221 A- 221 B, respectively.
- Each of liners 221 A- 221 B can be a permanently inflated flexible element.
- transfer chambers 212 A- 212 B does not have gas inlet ports 120 A- 120 B and gas outlet ports 122 A- 122 B for the inflation and deflation of liners 221 A- 221 B, respectively.
- Liners 221 A- 221 B can be inflated with air, any gas species such as nitrogen, or flakes of soft material prior to installing them within transfer chambers 212 A- 212 B, respectively.
- Composition of liners 221 A- 221 B can be similar to that of liners 121 A- 121 B.
- liners 221 A- 221 B can include plastic, synthetic or any other suitable material.
- the placement of liners 221 A- 221 B inside transfer chambers 212 A- 212 B can be similar to that of liners 121 A- 121 B unless mentioned otherwise.
- liners 221 A- 221 B can be coupled to one or more inner surfaces of transfer chambers 212 - 212 B via adhesive, tapes, or mechanical parts such as clamp.
- inflated liners 221 A- 221 B can reduce interior volume of transfer chambers 212 A- 212 B, and thus can reduce the pump downing and/or venting time of transfer chambers 212 A- 212 B during the wafer transfer operations.
- the wafer transfer operations of system 200 can be similar to that of system 100 described above with reference to FIG. 1A .
- FIG. 3A shows a plan view of a semiconductor wafer manufacturing system 300 and FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional view of system 300 along line A-A of FIG. 3A , according to some embodiments.
- the discussion of semiconductor wafer manufacturing system 100 applies to semiconductor wafer manufacturing system 300 unless mentioned otherwise.
- Semiconductor wafer manufacturing system 300 can include a transfer module 303 and loading ports 307 .
- the discussion of transfer module 103 A and loading ports 107 applies to transfer module 303 and loading ports 307 , respectively, unless mentioned otherwise.
- Transfer module 303 can include transfer chamber 312 and robotic arm 311 .
- the discussion of transfer chamber 112 A and robotic arm 111 A applies to transfer chamber 312 and robotic arm 311 unless mentioned otherwise.
- Transfer module 303 can be coupled to loading ports 307 and one or more processing modules (not shown) similar to processing module 101 A.
- Transfer module 303 can be configured to provide a pressure level within transfer chamber 312 that is similar to the pressure level within loading ports 307 or processing chambers of the one or more processing modules (not shown) based on where the wafers are scheduled to be transferred.
- Transfer module 303 can be configured to pump down transfer chambers 312 with one or more vacuum pumps or other suitable means (not shown) to achieve a vacuum pressure similar to that of processing chambers of the one or more processing modules (not shown). In response to the vacuum pressure within the processing chambers and transfer chamber 312 being substantially equal to each other, robotic arm 311 can transfer the wafers into the processing chambers. Transfer module 303 can also be configured to vent transfer chamber 312 with an inert and/or purified gas (e.g. nitrogen or argon) to achieve a pressure level (e.g. atmosphere) that is substantially equal to that of one of loading ports 307 . In response to the pressure levels within transfer chamber 312 and one of loading ports 307 being substantially equal to each other, robotic arm 311 can transfer the wafers to one or more of the wafer storage devices in one of loading ports 307 .
- an inert and/or purified gas e.g. nitrogen or argon
- transfer module 303 can further include a liner 321 , a gas supply system 309 , a gas extraction system 310 , and a control unit 324 .
- the discussion of liner 121 A, gas supply system 109 A, gas extraction system 110 A, and control unit 124 applies to liner 321 , gas supply system 309 , gas extraction system 310 , and control unit 324 unless mentioned otherwise.
- the placement of liner 321 within transfer chamber 312 can be similar to that of liner 121 A.
- FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional view of transfer module 303 along line A-A of FIG. 3A .
- liner 321 can be coupled to gas supply systems 309 and gas extraction system 310 through gas inlet port 320 and gas outlet port 322 , respectively, with mechanical couplings (not shown).
- the discussion of gas inlet port 120 A and gas outlet port 122 A applies to gas inlet port 320 and gas outlet port 322 , respectively.
- Liner 321 can be configured to reduce volume of transfer chamber 312 during pumping down and/or venting operations of transfer module 303 .
- liner 321 can be configured to be inflated with air or other suitable gas (e.g. nitrogen, argon, or an inert gas) to reduce volume of transfer chamber 312 during the pumping down and/or venting operations of transfer module 303 .
- liner 321 can be configured to be deflated during or after the venting operations of transfer module 303 . Reducing the volume of transfer chamber 312 during the pumping down and/or venting operations helps to reduce the time period required to pump down and/or vent transfer chamber 312 . Such reduction in the pumping down and/or venting periods helps to reduce the wafer transfer time between transfer chamber 312 and processing chambers and/or between transfer chamber 312 and loading ports 307 .
- liner 321 can be a permanently inflated liner similar to liner 221 A.
- transfer module 303 may not have gas inlet port 320 , gas outlet port 322 , gas supply system 309 , gas extraction system 310 and control system 324 .
- FIG. 4 is an example method 400 for operating a semiconductor wafer manufacturing system as described with reference to FIGS. 1A-1B , according to some embodiments.
- This disclosure is not limited to this operational description. It is to be appreciated that additional operations may be performed. Moreover, not all operations may be needed to perform the disclosure provided herein. Further, some of the operations may be performed simultaneously, or in a different order than shown in FIG. 4 . In some implementations, one or more other operations may be performed in addition to or in place of the presently described operations.
- method 400 is described with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1A-1B . However, method 400 is not limited to these embodiments.
- a semiconductor wafer is transferred from a loading port to a transfer module of the semiconductor wafer manufacturing system.
- a wafer can be transferred from loading port 107 to transfer chamber 112 A of transfer module 103 A.
- This wafer transfer operation can include transferring the wafer from loading port 107 to transfer tube 105 and from transfer tube 105 to transfer chamber 112 A.
- the wafer transfer operation between loading port 107 to transfer tube 105 can include transferring the wafer from loading port 107 by robotic arm 113 to wafer orientation stage 115 .
- the wafer transfer operation between transfer tube 105 and transfer chamber 112 A can include venting transfer chamber 112 A to atmospheric pressure (e.g., 760 mtorr) and transferring the oriented wafer from wafer orientation stage 115 by robotic arm 113 to transfer chamber 112 A.
- the wafer can be placed on wafer station 114 A.
- the transfer module is pumped down and a volume of a liner of the transfer module is adjusted.
- transfer chamber 112 A can be pumped down to a vacuum pressure level (e.g., between about 10 mtorr to about 50 mtorr) and liner 121 A can be inflated to reduce volume of transfer chamber 112 A for faster pumping down of transfer chamber 112 A.
- the inflating operation can be carried out by gas supply system 109 A through gas inlet port 120 A prior to or simultaneously with the pumping down operation.
- Liner 121 A can be inflated with air or other suitable gas (e.g. nitrogen, argon, or an inert gas). In some embodiments, liner 121 A can be inflated at a rate that is faster than a rate at which transfer chamber 112 A is pumped down.
- the wafers are transferred from the transfer module to a processing module.
- the wafer can be transferred from transfer chamber 112 A to processing chamber 102 A of processing module 101 A.
- This transfer operation can include adjusting the pressure in processing chamber 102 A to be substantially similar to the pressure in transfer chamber 112 A followed by the opening of gate valve 117 A, the transfer of the wafer from transfer chamber 112 A to processing chamber 102 A using robotic arm 111 A, closing of gate valve 117 A, and pumping down the processing chamber 102 A to a vacuum pressure level (e.g., between about 1 mtorr to about 10 mtorr) suitable for processing the wafer.
- the adjusting the pressure in processing chamber 102 A can include venting processing chamber 102 A to increase the chamber pressure from about 10 mtorr to about 50 mtorr.
- one or more semiconductor manufacturing processes are performed on the wafer in the processing module.
- one or more semiconductor manufacturing processes can be performed on the wafer in processing chamber 102 A.
- the one or more semiconductor manufacturing procedures can include deposition processes such as MBE, CVD, PECVD, LPCVD, ECD, PVD, ALD, MOCVD, sputtering, thermal evaporation, e-beam evaporation, or other deposition processes; etching processes such as dry etching, RIE, ICP, and ion milling; thermal process such as RTA; and microscopy such as SEM, and TEM; or any combination thereof.
- a high vacuum e.g., between about 1 mtorr to about 10 mtorr
- a high vacuum is preserved within processing chamber 102 A during the one or more manufacturing processes.
- the processed wafer is transferred from the processing module to the transfer module.
- the processed wafer can be transferred from processing chamber 102 A to transfer chamber 112 A.
- This transfer operation can include adjusting the pressure in processing chamber 102 A to be substantially similar to the pressure in transfer chamber 112 A followed by the opening of gate valve 117 A, the transfer of the wafer from processing chamber 102 A to transfer chamber 112 A using robotic arm 111 A, closing of gate valve 117 A, and pumping down the processing chamber 102 A to a vacuum pressure level (e.g., between about 1 mtorr to about 10 mtorr).
- the adjusting the pressure in processing chamber 102 A can include venting processing chamber 102 A to increase the chamber pressure from about 10 mtorr to about 50 mtorr.
- this transfer operation 450 can also include measuring pressure of transfer chamber 112 A prior to the opening of gate valve 117 A and performing operation similar to operation 420 in response to pressure of transfer chamber 112 A being different from the adjusted pressure of processing chamber 102 A.
- the transfer module is vented.
- transfer chamber 112 A can be vented to atmospheric pressure and the processed wafer can be transferred back to one of loading ports 107 using robotic arm 113 .
- liner 121 A can be deflated during or after venting of transfer chamber 112 A. Deflating liner 121 A can include extracting gas from liner 121 A through gas outlet port 122 A using gas extraction system 110 A. In some embodiments, liner 121 A can remain inflated during or after venting of transfer chamber 112 A.
- transfer chambers of transfer modules of the semiconductor device manufacturing systems are configured to dynamically modify the interior volumes of the transfer chambers (e.g., transfer chambers 112 A, 112 B, and/or 312 ) to achieve faster pumping down and venting of the transfer chambers.
- transfer chambers can include liners (e.g., liners 121 A, 121 B, 221 A, 221 B, and/or 321 ) installed along their inner sidewalls.
- the liners can be configured to be inflatable with a gaseous medium during the pumping down and/or venting operations of the transfer module.
- the expansion of the volumes of the inflatable liners helps to reduce the interior volumes of the transfer chambers.
- the reduced volumes of the transfer chambers can be pumped down and vented faster than transfer chambers without the liners to reach the desired vacuum pressure and atmospheric pressure, respectively.
- the time required for pumping down the transfer chambers with liners is reduced by about 5% to about 10%.
- the time required for venting the transfer chambers with liners is reduced by about 5% to about 10%.
- the liners can be configured to protect the robotic arms of the transfer modules from structural damages in the events of collisions with the interior of the transfer chambers during the wafer transfer operations.
- a semiconductor device manufacturing system includes a processing module and a transfer module.
- the processing module includes a processing chamber that is configured to process a semiconductor wafer and a gate valve that is configured to provide access to the processing chamber.
- the transfer module includes a transfer chamber that is coupled to the processing chamber and a liner that is coupled to an inner surface of the transfer chamber. The liner is configured to reduce a volume of the transfer chamber prior to or during a transfer chamber pressure adjustment operation of the transfer module.
- a system in some embodiments, includes a processing module and a transfer module.
- the processing module includes a processing chamber that is configured to process a semiconductor wafer.
- the transfer module includes a transfer chamber that is coupled to the processing chamber and an inflated liner that is coupled to an inner side surface of the transfer chamber.
- a method of operating a semiconductor device manufacturing system includes transferring a semiconductor wafer into a transfer chamber of a transfer module, inflating a liner coupled to an inner surface of the transfer chamber, pumping down the transfer chamber to a vacuum pressure level, and transferring the semiconductor wafer from the transfer chamber to a processing chamber of a processing module.
Abstract
Description
Claims (20)
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US16/443,168 US11031264B2 (en) | 2018-08-15 | 2019-06-17 | Semiconductor device manufacturing system |
TW108128470A TW202021013A (en) | 2018-08-15 | 2019-08-12 | Semiconductor device manufacturing system |
CN201910749494.6A CN110838456A (en) | 2018-08-15 | 2019-08-14 | Semiconductor device manufacturing system |
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US201862764656P | 2018-08-15 | 2018-08-15 | |
US16/443,168 US11031264B2 (en) | 2018-08-15 | 2019-06-17 | Semiconductor device manufacturing system |
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- 2019-06-17 US US16/443,168 patent/US11031264B2/en active Active
- 2019-08-12 TW TW108128470A patent/TW202021013A/en unknown
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TW202021013A (en) | 2020-06-01 |
US20200058529A1 (en) | 2020-02-20 |
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